Pandora's Box
by snoopykid
Summary: He knew he should have kept it closed. He knew that he should not have opened the box that she told him to leave shut, but he couldn't help it. After all she did promise no more secrets…however there was still so much she did not tell him and probably never would. He was brave. A knight in training. So he opened Pandora's Box, but was he ready to face what was inside it?
1. Chapter 1

Yes new story, this one is most likely going to be short so yea. I just need to vent out some stress so this is where this is coming from. And just a bit of background, this is after the events of Selfless, Brave, and True.

Summary- He knew he should have kept it closed. He knew that he should not have opened the box that she told him to leave shut, but he couldn't help it. After all she did promise no more secrets…however there was still so much she did not tell him and probably never would. He opened what he deemed as Pandora's Box, so was he ready to face what was inside it?

**Pandora's Box**

"_Henry I am so sorry, I don't want there being any more secrets. I promise I will always be truthful_," she had told him on the stairs after the events of that day when August was rewarded once more for his selfless, brave, and truthful actions.

Henry sighed as he looked at the closet in the room that he had shared with his mother in the apartment. He couldn't help but think back to Manhattan after he discovered that Neal aka Baelfire was his father:

"_He was a thief, Henry. A liar, a bad guy, and he… He broke my heart." _She had explained. He knew that his mother was always guarded. He had thought that it was just her time in the system with bad people, but she had still lied to him.

"_I could have taken it, you know. The truth._" He had told her. That was all he had wanted after all, the truth…

He could still see the hurt in her eyes even though she could not look at him. Her voice was soft as she responded, "_I know. He was just a part of my life I wanted to forget. That's why I didn't tell you. I was thinking of me, not you._"

Internally he flinched as he remembered what he had said to her, "_I thought you were different, but you're just like her. Regina. She always lied to me, too._"

"_I'm sorry…_" Her voice was so broken and so upset that he never thought he could ever see his strong and brave mother so broken…almost like her world shattered in front of her.

Shaking his head he looked back at the closet. Many times he had come into the room to find her sitting with a box opened and her hunched over writing on something. Of those times his curiosity was always peaked, until he remembered that he was supposed to be mad at her and he would walk right out before she could turn and see him watching her.

Once he started talking with her again and getting 'reacquainted' he eventually asked, "What is that box that you always take out and look at?"

"Just some things," Was the response he received, "old stuff of mine that did not make it to storage."

"So what is in it?" He asked again, "Toys? Clothes?"

"Stuff," Emma responded as she had put her mug in the sink.

"I thought we said no more secrets." He stated and he watched as she flinched.

Her face fell drastically and she sighed, "I did say that didn't I?" He saw her eyes focus on the wall in front of them in the kitchen. For once he was thankful that his grandparents were out for the time being as she sighed, "Henry sometimes things like this are best forgotten."

"So why did you keep opening it when we got home?" He asked again trying to get information.

"What did you see?" She asked quickly as her gaze snapped to him.

He held his hands up and said, "Nothing, when I saw you in the room I walked back out. I was just curious."

Emma sighed as the front door opened and his grandparents walked, "Just please Henry ok. Stay out of it."

Once she left for work he claimed that he had homework that he still needed to do, so he went back upstairs and this is where he stayed…just sitting on the bed looking at the closet door. She promised no more secrets, yet she was still keeping them. He took a deep breath, got up, and opened the door to the closet.

Looking inside he saw nothing out of place. His mother's stuff was on her side and his stuff was on his side. Pulling the clothes apart he looked in the back and saw a guitar case in the back corner, which he found odd and looking toward the other side he saw it.

Taking another deep breath he pulled it out with slight difficulty as it was heavy. Once he had it out he sat on the floor. Was he really going to do this? He asked himself as he recognized his mother's cursive writing which read 'Pandora's Box'. He shook his head in amusement, she did not like fairytales but yet here was a Greek myth written in her hand.

Once he was done debating and the decision made, with shaky hands, he opened it. It was time, he thought before he looked in, to learn more about his mother.


	2. Chapter 2

**Pandora's Box**

Stuff was sprawled out across the floor. He had found different files of random people that he did not recognize any of the names of. As he paged through them he saw that each person's face had a red 'X' on them and a dollar amount. He also horrified to see what some of those people did. He of course knew that his mother had spent her adult life tracking these kinds of people down, but never imagined that she caught most of them. As he was done reading them he placed them to the side until he came across one and he let out a gasp…it was his mother's file.

Opening the folder he was greeted with an old worn out news article with the headline, "Baby Found on the Side of the Road." Then he saw another, "Deadbeat Parents Leave Child on Roadside." Henry gulped and picked up one of the pictures which he realized it was his mother as an infant.

He continued paging through the file until he came to an elementary school report card which he picked up and read, "Miss. Emma Swan, as you well know, is a special girl. So smart, so creative," Henry smiled, but then as he continued reading his smile fell, "however she is, you might be aware, lonely. She tends to lash out and fights with the other kids often. I hope you might be able to meet with me and we could discuss her progress and adjustments together."

Henry sighed heavily as he continued to look at the file and saw many of report cards and a few pictures, but then however one picture came up along with a track record…one that he had seen in the Daily Mirror. He read it closely as his eyes widened. She had told him that she had him in jail, but she never told him why she was in jail…but now he knew. She was in possession of stolen goods.

Flipping the page over, he saw another piece of paper. As he started reading it, he stopped and placed the folder aside. Henry rested his back against the bed and let out a shaky breath. It was something that he never thought he would get to see…it was his birth certificate. While he knew that Regina had something like the one his mother had; this was the original.

He did not know how his mother managed to obtain it, but she had it…maybe it was something to keep for her records, but he took a closer look at it. He could see that she penned his name where it should have been typed, but he could also see where she penned his father's name. Why would she want to have this in the box? He wondered slightly hurt as he remembered she said about things being forgotten.

It was then as he reached into the box again that he found a few objects that he was fascinated with. He pulled out a dream catcher which reminded him of his father's, there was a pair of black glasses; a ring of guitar picks, and some kind of pendant. But that was not what caught his attention, it was two books. They both had tattered black hard covers, like they have been opened and shut many times over. It was one of these books he knew that she was writing in.

Taking them out, he sat back against the bed and had the books in his lap. Sighing he was asking himself if he really was going to do this. Guilt started to gnaw at him as he thought about what he already had done by reading his mother's file and looking through her stuff that she had asked him not to. However, before he could stop himself, he was already opening one of the books. On the back of the cover written in red crayon in a child's hand was, "Property of Emma Swan," then underneath it, "My Art Book."

Henry's head turned to the side as he turned the page to see a beautiful landscape of a castle and then people in the foreground. The words above the people were slightly faded and hard to read, but he could make out by the size of how the people were drawn was that his mother had drawn herself and her parents. He smiled at the thought that this picture turned out to be true. Her parents were royal and she was a princess…the only sad part was that she never got to experience this. His eye then caught the date that this picture was drawn: October 23, 1987. His mother would have been four.

He did a quick mental math and suddenly what his mother had told him flooded back, "_I had a family until I was three, but then they had their own so then they sent me back_." So this must have meant that she was returned to…Henry shook his head and continued to flip through the pages and as he did so the pictures became more profound and sophisticated. It was becoming clear that his mother had another special gift for art. He then came across a page where written in the middle of it was, "Lyrics."

Henry tilted his head to the side again as he read through some of his mother's compositions and he began to frown. Some were really sad and depressing, but then he started to smile at the more happy and loving, but then as quickly as it came it became dark. Looking at the dates they were written he stopped, closed the book, and picked up the other. Carefully he opened the book and was met with the same red crayon as the other on the back of the cover, "Property of Emma Swan." With slightly shaking hands he turned the page and saw the date written in crayon again: October 23, 1987.

_Dear Journal,_

_My name is Emma Swan and I am four! Mary-Alice, the nice lady here at Angel's Paradise, gave you to me for my birthday today! And she said I can keep all my secrets here…so I guess I can tell you anything_.

Henry stopped reading for a moment and took notice of his mother's handwriting which was good for a four year old. Her grammar also was good, the teacher with the nice report card was right…his mother was exceptionally bright and gifted.

_Well you already know my name, but what you do not know is that I am an orphan. That means I have no mommy or daddy. But I had them until they sent me away…not before they told me they were not my real mommy and daddy. They said they adopted me when I was really little. They wouldn't tell me anything else though. But we can be a family right? I mean you already have a bother because Mary-Alice gave me another one of you which she said I could draw in so I won't have to draw on the walls! Anyway I have to go. Talk to you soon!_

_Love,_

_Emma_

Henry noticed a little stars, smiles, and rainbows around the page. He allowed his hand to glide over the crayon covered page and he shook his head. His heart ached for his mother at having to listen to the two people you called your mom and dad then they have to tell you the truth. The confusion at not understanding at that young age must have been brutal.

"Henry time for lunch!" He heard his grandma's voice echoing up the stairs.

"Coming!" He called back as he gently started putting the stuff away, but leaving the little black book out. Once the box was in the closet once more he hid the black book underneath his pillow and sorrowfully went downstairs.


	3. Chapter 3

**Pandora's Box**

When he was done eating lunch, he made his way back to the room and continued to read through the journal. What he took notice of was how months seemed to skip and every time a new entry occurred was when his mother was back at the orphanage, but that wasn't why he was so curious. It was how the words his mother had written turned so cynical. It was like he could hear the tone of her voice in his head as he read.

When he turned to the next page the date was November 17, 1994 and instead of a greeting that he kind of became accustomed to, the words were all capitalized and the pencil must have been pressed very hard as his mother wrote because he could see and feel the indentation:

_I QUIT! I GIVE THE HECK UP! I am sick of being lied to! "They are good people." She had said. "They will take care of you," she had said. Yea right! Just more lies…_

Henry did another quick math in his head and realized his mother would have been eleven…his age:

_I told her so, Mary-Alice. I let her have it as soon as the 'family' left. I told her I was sick of her lies…Just proves my point: You can't trust anyone, but yourself in this world. There are no happy endings, they just don't exist._

Henry noticed the slight dry tear drops on the page. Again his heart broke for her:

_She didn't deserve what I said…I was just so angry! I'm gonna apologize to her…_

He wondered how long she cried before she came to that conclusion. He also wondered what had happened to his mother this time. All the other entries he had read described that each family gave her up after some kind of confrontation. He wondered if this was the same scenario. As he was turning the page, he saw a picture of a woman taped to it with graying hair and dull, but still slightly bright green eyes.

Underneath her picture he saw in his mom's handwriting: Mary-Alice Wilder. His eyes then scanned to the next page, it was a news article cut out and his heart sank once more…the date was written at the top of the page: November 18, 1994.

The title: _Mary-Alice Wilder (1929-1994), May we never forget._

_Mary-Alice Wilder passed away last night from a heart attack. She was an extraordinary woman who dedicated her life in helping the children of the community. She is survived by her friends, co-workers, and the children of Angel's Paradise. The wake will be held at Wilson's Funeral Home on November 19__th__ at 12 pm and the burial will be held at Randolph Cemetery on the same day at twilight. Mary-Alice you will be missed greatly._

Henry turned the page again to see the date was November 20, 1994.

_I tried to run, but they found me. I guess it wasn't smart to hide at the cemetery, but I had to say good-bye and apologize…but I guess that doesn't matter. It was my entire fault that she died. I must have somehow caused her so much pain that her heart could not take it._

"Oh mom," Henry sighed out loud feeling incredibly bad for her. Surly she could not have meant that.

_I had gotten into a really bad fight at the school I was going to when I was living with the Jones. The kids were teasing me really badly and I ended giving the one boy a black eye and the other a broken nose. That is why they sent me back…I had told her that if they truly cared they would have at least supported me, but I had to go and verbally abuse her…it is my fault I am a terrible kid and everyone is right: I am meant to be alone._

Henry stopped reading and whipped a few tears that were threatening to come out and he quickly began to skip through the book again. He just wanted to find something happy so he could take his mind off the abuse that his mother had to suffer through. It was then that he came across something interesting; the date was October 23, 1999.

_Today is the day! I am free! I have wanted to do this for a very long time, but now I am sixteen and independent! I have no idea where I am going or what I am doing, but I know that this will do me some good! I asked Frank, the guy who replaced Mary-Alice after she passed, to give me my file; which he gladly did. He wished me luck and told me to be safe. In fact if I dare to admit it, I think I might miss this place. Anyway best be on my way, I will write soon._

Henry smiled as he read this, finally it seemed like things were looking up for his mother. Suddenly there was a knock on the door and he quickly stuffed the book underneath his pillow and grabbed his math book and a piece of paper and started to do a random problem as his grandfather entered the room, "How goes the homework?" He asked.

"It goes." Henry responded with a smile.

David smiled back and said, "Well you want to take a break and go to the stables?"

Henry smiled, "Sure." With that he hopped off the bed and followed his grandfather out of the apartment.


	4. Chapter 4

**Pandora's Box**

"You sure must have a lot of homework there Henry," Snow said as he was about to run upstairs when him and David returned to the apartment. Henry paused and faced his grandmother as she spoke again, "What exactly are you working on?"

"Stuff," Henry responded as he started once more upstairs.

David smirked, "What kind of stuff?"

Henry paused again as he looked at his grandparents who were eyeing him suspiciously, "School stuff that I really need to get done before mom gets home. Thanks for the study break gramps!" He called as he went up to the room and closed the door.

David laughed lightly as he made his way to the kitchen to where Snow was starting to make dinner, "He sure is working hard."

"I doubt it is school stuff." Snow responded also smiling, "He was never this studious before."

"What do you think he is really doing up there?" David asked looking up at the ceiling as if willing it to show him.

Snow smiled seeing her husband's eyes light up with curiosity, "I do not know, but let Emma deal with it when she comes home." She lightly pressed her lips to his and he smiled in response.

"Is this dessert I taste?" He asked as she pulled away from him.

"Could be," Snow winked as she turned back to her work. David laughed in response as he began to help with dinner.

In the meantime Henry flipped through his mother's journal until he came on the page where he had stopped at. He smiled again as he thought things were looking up, but then he decided that maybe, just maybe, that his mother wrote about how she met his father. With this excited thought in mind he skipped through the pages until he came across an entry. There was no date, however there was a year scrawled on the top of the page: 2001.

_Oh my god! You would not believe what just happened! _

_So a few weeks ago I arrive in Portland, Oregon and well of course I have no job and therefore no money so I had no other option but to become a thief. I mean I know it is wrong and I am sure Mary-Alice would have never approved, but what choice do I have…and it is not like I am doing it out of spite…it is merely survival. As they say: Survival of the Fittest after all right?_

Henry read that with sheer interest. His mother was actually trying to justify stealing. It was not like he was ashamed with his mother; on the contrary this made him more interested to see where this was headed:

_So anyway after awhile I decided that I was going to leave and I saw this cute little yellow bug sitting in this alley. Well I manage to break into it and as I am driving away a man pops up from the backseat. I am literally now freaking out at this point and well long story short we begin talking and eventually he tells me his name: __Neal Cassidy__. But that is not the best part of this whole experience! He is also a thief and it turns out the irony is that he stole the car that I was currently stealing! Can you believe that?! I stole a stolen car! _

Henry was fighting to control his laughter that he thought his ribs were about to crack. This was the funniest thing he has ever read in his whole life! It also made him happy to know more about his parents. Whipping a few laughing tears away; he regains control and continues reading:

_So after that whole experience we remained together ever since. We even have code names: He is Clyde and I am Bonnie! Get it: Bonnie and Clyde? They were well-known outlaws, robbers, and criminals who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. They always stuck together through thick and thin. Hell, they are the only ones who I would deem worthy as true star crossed lovers. Maybe that is why we click together so well. He is the only one who understands me…he made me realize that I do not need anything else. Yes, as long as I have him that is all that counts._

He smiled at that passage, but then he began to frown. If they were so close what exactly happened to them to make his mother so mad at his father that she could not bear the thought of telling him the truth about him?

_Well anyway we are currently hiding out in this hotel room and he has just proclaimed to me that he wants to start a life somewhere. Can you believe that? He wants to start a new life…with me! I had asked him were and you know what he does? He shows me a map of the States and you know what he says? He says, "Close your eyes and point. Whatever spot you pick, that's our home."_

_Home…do you know how long I wanted to hear those words? How much I wanted to believe in that simple word? So I had closed my eyes and did what he said and I picked a spot on the map, "Tallahassee." _

_Neal had this big grin on his face. It was like his face was going to crack it was that big. I knew that this was it…Tallahassee is going to be our new home. Oh I cannot wait for that to happen._

Henry was smiling. He could not wait to read more of his parents' adventure. His mother's story was a nice break from the book. He turned the page and frowned…the next entry was dated with the year 2002…This is odd, he thought to himself…however it did not take him long to realize why:

_I bet you are wondering what happened. Why I did not write or have not written…well I will tell you: Not long after we have decided on Tallahassee it turns out that Neal shows me a wanted poster with his face on it. _

Henry gasps at this new piece of information. He never realized his father was a wanted man, after this entire reading he thought that his parents were petty thefts…at least that is how his mother described it. What did his father do?

_So after asking what he did, Neal tells me his story about how he was a janitor in Phoenix at a high-end jewelry place. He describes how the manager was a drunk and how he would always forget to lock the case to the expensive watches._

After reading this, Henry could see where this was headed, however he did not want to believe it. But just like all good stories, there would have to have been a snitch in a plan at some point.

_So anyway he goes on to say that he tried resisting, but one day he couldn't resist anymore and stole a couple cases of watches, and that is how he ended up in Portland. Well his brilliant plan was to escape to Canada alone. And of course me being oh so in love wanted to go with the bastard! Well neither here nor there I came up with a plan after he denied me of going with him, he says that he hid the watches in a locker at the train station so I said I would go retrieve them and we could fence them for money._

Henry at this point was starting to put the pieces together as he was reading. Looking at the date again he realized something big: His mother had met his father when she was eighteen…the year he was reading about now happened when his mother was nineteen…this means that his mother just got out of prison…and based on the tone his father had-no! He stopped in mid-thought, it must have been a misunderstanding…right?

_I managed to retrieve the watches with no problem and Neal was ecstatic. He even gave me one to keep and then we agreed to meet up at a place after he found someone to buy them. It was starting to become late and I tried calling him, but no response. However before I could try again I got arrested for being in possession of stolen goods. THAT BASTARD SET ME UP!_

Henry stopped reading and put the book down. He was breathing heavily trying not to believe what he just read. His father could not have done that to her. It was a simple misunderstanding, it just has to be. Shaking his head he knew that he had to finish reading, because his mother was going to be home any minute…he just knew it.

_Anyway I got sent to a minimum security prison in Phoenix for eleven months. Then one day a security guard came and told me that I had gotten a letter sent from Phuket, Thailand. It held one thing: a swan keychain that he had stolen for me with the key to that damn bug._

_In all honesty I could have handled that. Being betrayed is nothing new to me. Hell it is sad to say, but somewhere deep down I knew it was going to happen eventually, despite the fact that I tried so hard to fight it…but there was something else…I was pregnant for nine of those eleven months. _

Henry re-read that part and as he was reading he could see the tear stains on the page as he read this. Now he was ultimately sure that he did not want to read anymore, but before he could decide what to do, his curiosity took over and his eyes remained glued to the page:

_I had a baby boy. That is right. I had a son, and he is the only good part that came out of all of this, however I did not keep him. I gave him up in a closed adoption. I hated to do it. God with every fiber of my being I wish I never had to do it. I held him for a few minutes before the doctor took him away from me. I knew he deserved better than what I had to offer him. He deserved his best chance…and that is not with me._

_Anyway I am going to Tallahassee, half of me hopes to see Neal and the other half doesn't. I guess I just want to understand. But I guess the big question is: am I going to tell him about this beautiful baby boy? No. I should not even ask that. He does not deserve to know. I do not want him to feel obligated in anyway…besides that kid is better off without me…without us._

Henry stops reading and snaps the book shut and places it back in the box before jumping back on the bed and placing his face in his hands. His heart feels like it is going to beat right out of his chest as he thinks about what he just read. He knows that of course he only heard his mother's side of the story and as he well knew there are multiple sides to the same story, but how was he going to get his father's side of the story without drawing attention to the fact that he invaded his mother's privacy?

Just as he was thinking about a plan he hears the door slam open and yelling from downstairs, "And I am saying 'screw you'! Get the hell away from me!" He heard his mother's voice.

"Emma please I am so-" Perking up he immediately realized that his father was here too.

"No! I do not want to hear it Neal! I am so sick of hearing it! Get the hell away from me! In fact get the hell out of my life, since you do that oh so well!" He heard her yell and now he slowly made his way to the door and opened it quietly as he slowly snuck into the hallway. From there he got a good view as to what was happening.

"Emma. Neal. Henry is-" His grandmother tried pleading with them as she stood in between them her facing his mother and his grandfather facing his father.

His father had a pleading look on his face as he tried to bypass both of them, "Please let me explain-"

This infuriated his mother even more, "Explain?! Explain what?! What is there to explain?! The fact that you had the audacity to kiss me when you are engaged; then tell me it changes nothing?! Hello you started it!"

"Emma I didn't mean-"

"Forget it ok! I do not believe you! Get that?! I do not ever believe the shit that comes out of your mouth! Ever!" There was a hushed silence and Henry felt his mouth open in shock as his mother said, "I get it ok? I was just a scapegoat to you so you could take the watches for yourself and start your life over."

"Emma please-"

"Neal you better leave." David said before another shouting match could occur.

"But-"

"Leave." Snow finally said facing him as well as Emma had her back turned to him.

Henry watched as Neal sighed in defeat and made his way to the door. He looked back one more time and whispered, "I am sorry." And with that he walked out and closed the door softly behind him.

Henry watched as Snow placed a soft hand on Emma's shoulder, but she shrugged it off and as she was turning toward the stairs he bolted back into the room, just as he heard her footsteps bounding up the stairs. As he closed the door he was relieved to hear the bathroom door slam shut. Taking a deep breath he heard a knock and before he could say anything the door opened to reveal his grandmother, "Dinner is ready."

Playing stupid he asked, "What was with the yelling? Is everything ok?"

Snow sighed, "It is nothing you need to worry about, now go eat."

Thinking it best not to argue, Henry sighed and followed his grandmother downstairs as his mother came out of the bathroom. Without looking at him or even acknowledging him, she went into the bedroom and shut the door.


	5. Chapter 5

Ok first of all: thank you all for being patient with me as I went through some sticky situation with the stupid system. Also thank you again for your patience as I also went through the finals from hell. Now that is said and done: here is the new chapter! I think I am back baby!

**Pandora's Box**

There was a stony silence as Henry, Snow, and David ate their dinner. Emma had not come downstairs since her fight with Neal. He had caught a glimpse of her as she came out of the bathroom and then she bolted into their room without a single look or word. Henry sighed as he twirled the spaghetti around his fork, "You ok?" David asked him trying to break the uneasy silence.

"Yup," Henry stated flatly as he continued to pick at his food.

Snow rolled her eyes and looked toward the stairs. She wondered what Emma was doing in there. Normally in the past when something had set Emma off, the whole neighborhood would know about it…like the toaster abuse incident for example, "Maybe I should-"

"Leave it Snow." David said knowing what his wife wanted to do, "She will come out when she is ready." Snow gave her husband a look and he put his hands up, "I am just saying that we should just-"

"I am going up there." Snow said cutting him off and went upstairs.

David and Henry exchanged looks and tried to continue to eat when Snow called, "DAVID!"

David bolted from the table with Henry close at his heels as they went upstairs to the room. They saw the room slightly trashed and the window wide open with Snow standing near it looking outside, "She is gone!" Snow said as panic started to fill her.

David went to the window and Henry went to the closet and saw the contents of the box scattered about. It was then he realized that the books and the guitar were missing, "She must have used the fire escape and ran for it." David stated.

"No really? Here I thought she could fly." Snow said sarcastically, but then winced as David shot her a look, "Where could she have gone?"

Henry shook his head. He did not read that far in the book to know what his mother did when she was upset. Of course he knew that when she was younger she would find an isolated area, but he did not know where that would be in Storybrooke. However too, she had started changing habits as she got older. Before he could make a suggestion the phone began to ring and David went downstairs followed by Snow and Henry, "Hello?" He asked

"David? It's Red." Red's voice came through, "I am down at the Rabbit Hole and well…Emma is here and she…well she has been here a while and she is not that great of shape."

"Oh thank god. We just realized she took off. You are down at the Rabbit Hole you said?" David asked as he placed a hand over his rapid beating heart.

"Yea, I will keep an eye on her for you until-" Just then there was yelling that could be heard and Red's hesitant voice came through, "Actually you better get down here now. The son of the Dark One just entered and it is not looking good."

David hung up and grabbed his keys, "She is down at the Rabbit Hole, let's go."

In the meantime Emma was glaring at the man in front of her, "What part of I do not want to hear it do you not understand?"

"Emma please, we have to talk. I am sorry-" Neal was begging her at this point but he was once again cut off.

"No! I do not want to hear it ok? I am so sick of hearing that word!" Emma yelled.

The two were completely unaware that they had an audience. Red came up behind her friend and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Emma-"

But Emma shrugged the hand off as Neal responded, "Please at least let me-"

"I do not want to hear your explanation. You kissed me Neal. Big deal. I would not have said anything to her! But you made it worse by saying that it meant nothing. I mean was what we had nothing? Is that why you really left me?" She asked.

"You know that is not why I left. I left so you could-"

"Break the damn curse? Yea I heard this story half a million times. It really gets old after awhile." Emma scoffed as she took a swig of her brandy. Her eye caught her lyric book and the guitar case by her seat. Her plan was simple: sneak out of the house, go somewhere where she would not be bothered, have a few drinks, and write. Clearly that did not happen since Neal had somehow found her.

Neal sighed heavily and asked, "What will it take for us to just talk?"

Before Emma could answer she heard her name being called and turned her head to see Snow, David, and Henry coming into the club. As they were coming over she looked back at Neal, "Nothing because I do not want to talk."

Just when David or Neal or whoever was about to respond an announcer at the club called out, "Who is up for some karaoke?!"

Neal and Emma continued to look at one another as if lost in their own world. Emma could hear multiple people cheering, but that is when she felt her own mouth move, "I'll go first!"

There was a hushed silence, "Emma-" Snow started to say confused but then she was cutoff by the announcer, "The sheriff of Storybrooke and our saviour people! Give it up!"

Somewhere someone handed her the mike as cheers could be heard around them and Neal looked at her, "Emma-"

"No Neal," Then she took a deep breath as she heard the piano in her mind clear as day as she started to sing:

**I don't wanna talk  
About things we've gone through  
Though it's hurting me  
Now it's history  
I've played all my cards  
And that's what you've done too  
Nothing more to say  
No more ace to play  
**

**The winner takes it all  
The loser's standing small  
Beside the victory  
That's her destiny**

Neal's mouth hung open. He never knew Emma could sing, apparently neither did Snow and David who took a few steps back from the duo. Henry was also standing next to Snow as he listened to his mother sing. He knew from reading the journal that she was a very gifted musician and amongst other talents as well, while he did not know when she wrote this song, he knew it was about his father or must have been around the time they came back. As he continued to watch his mother, he felt as if his own heart was breaking as Emma continued to the next line.

**I was in your arms  
Thinking I belonged there  
I figured it made sense  
Building me a fence  
Building me a home  
Thinking I'd be strong there  
But I was a fool  
Playing by the rules  
**

Emma did not know why she chose to sing this particular song. Of course Neal had been in town for about a week, but they were starting to develop some kind of friendship…perhaps she just needed to let him know how she felt, maybe deep down this would be her way of talking, but either way she needed him to understand. She allowed all of her emotions to shine and was vaguely aware of the silence in the club as everyone was listening intently as her quiet voice started to grow a bit louder.

**The gods may throw the dice  
Their minds as cold as ice  
And someone way down here  
Loses someone dear  
The winner takes it all  
The loser has to fall  
It's simple and it's plain  
Why should I complain?**

But tell me does she kiss  
Like I used to kiss you?  
Does it feel the same  
When she calls your name?  
Somewhere deep inside  
You must know I miss you  
But what can I say?  
Rules must be obeyed

Snow was in awe at her daughter's singing, but she could feel her own tears well up as Emma continued. Isn't this how she felt when David was David and she was Mary-Margret? Having someone, but not having them? Emma was never one to explain or show her true emotions because of her damn walls, however hear she was singing in front of people no less and sharing them. Snow could only feel sympathy for her daughter as she continued.

**The judges will decide  
The likes of me abide  
Spectators of the show  
Always staying low  
The game is on again  
A lover or a friend  
A big thing or a small  
The winner takes it all**

Emma sighed and paused for a moment allowing the piano in her head to become slightly quiet. She took a moment to really look at the man in front of her. Here she was, singing her deepest feelings for him, practically throwing her emotions in his face. He had slight tears in his eyes as she took a deep breath and sang quietly:

**I don't wanna talk  
If it makes you feel sad  
And I understand  
You've come to shake my hand**

Neal could feel the firm shake as Emma really did shake his hand. She had this all wrong. It was a complete misunderstanding about what he wanted to talk with her about after the kiss, but he was too stunned to interrupt her. His heart literally screamed in agony as she started to back away from him. He saw her take a slight bow as she then sang out even slightly louder:

**I apologize  
If it makes you feel bad  
Seeing me so tense  
No self-confidence  
But you see  
The winner takes it all  
The winner takes it all...**

Emma's voice was stronger now as she looked at Neal. She then allowed herself to be guided up on stage as some of the people started to sing the next line with her:

**The game is on again  
A lover or a friend  
A big thing or a small  
The winner takes it all **

**The winner takes it all  
And the loser has to fall**

Henry watched in awe at his mother who was totally oblivious as she belted the note out as people echoed the last line. In fact if he did not know any better he would say that he was living a musical. He stole a look at his father and he could see the agony. Right at that moment Emma once again jumped off the stage and walked back over to them and sang softly:

**The winner takes it all…**

There were mass amounts of cheers, but the only four people who were not cheering which was Snow, David, Henry, and Neal as they looked at Emma. Neal took a deep breath and said, "Em-" But Emma did not allow him to finish as she grabbed her book and the guitar and walked away out of the club.


	6. Chapter 6

**Pandora's Box**

"No, just let her be!" Neal yelled as Snow, David, and Henry marched out of the club and on to the pavement, "I've known her longer than any of you have and when she gets like this, it is best to leave her alone." He finished softly as they turned and looked at him.

"Now see here. I do not give a shit that you are the son of the Dark One," David began as Neal flinched and clenched his hands into fists, "you hurt her. Therefore I should punch your skull in or rather than that, impale you with my sword."

Neal looked David square in the eye, "Believe me when I say that nothing you threaten me with will fit the crime that I committed. Hell even being attacked by a wraith would not even cover it or better yet not even make one of the sick deals with the Dark One would amount to the pain and suffering I caused Emma." David was taken aback at Neal's voice and speech as he continued, "I could not even begin to imagine the pain and suffering that Emma has gone through. Not a day goes by when I wish I could turn back time and stop myself from leaving, or when I wish that I never stole those watches, or when I wish I could have turned myself in instead…" His voice trailed off at the end and he looked at the dirt, "I should have never listened to August."

Henry couldn't help himself. He wiggled out of Snow's grasp and stood between his grandfather and father, "What happened?"

Neal sighed and walked to a bench and sat down. Henry sat next to him and David stood with his arms crossed and Snow sat on Neal's opposite side half offering comfort and half protecting him from David's wrath. Finally gathering up his nerve Neal started off, "You have to understand, Emma's life before Storybrooke was not pretty. It was downright horrible. I do not know how much she has told you about-"

"Hardly nothing," Snow intervened when she saw David about to ask where this was going, "She just mentioned bits and pieces about the system."

Neal gulped and shot a sideways glance at Henry who pretended not to know what was going on when he did…, "Then I will spare you the details…that is her story to tell…not mine. However I will tell you that we both were in similar situations. We stole to get by and broke into motel rooms to shower and we lived out of the bug…we were a real Bonnie and Clyde," Neal paused and smiled as he remembered their 'heists'.

David eased up a bit as he looked at the man in front of him. He, along with Snow, could not understand why Neal would want to marry another woman when clearly he still loved their daughter. Neal shook his head and started the story again, "We were in some hotel when I made the decision that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Emma. I told her to choose a town and that was where we would settle down…she chose Tallahassee. We had everything planned out for the trip until one day part of my past came back to haunt me…" Neal paused and stiffened as he explained, "Before I met Emma I was a janitor in Phoenix – this high-end jewelry place. The manager was a drunk. He would forget to lock the case to the expensive watches."

Henry knew all as he read the story in Emma's journal; however he kept listening to his father. He saw Snow and David looking at Neal with slight interest as he continued, "I resisted twice. The third time, this guy's just asking for it. So I… I grabbed a couple cases of watches, and I hopped on a train to Portland. I figured the store had insurance and I had stashed them in a locker at the train station. I had thought I had gotten away clean and the heat died until one day I saw my face on a wanted poster in the post office. So I told Emma this and that Tallahassee was out. I got to go to Canada alone. But she would not hear of it. She wanted to come with me, but I kept refusing, after all if I got caught, I did not want her to get caught either. But she came up with the idea to steal the watches for me."

Henry could tell that this was hard for his father, but he placed a hand on his shoulder. Neal gave him a grateful look and he sighed, "Emma succeeded and we met in the bug. I told her I would go fence them and that I would catch up at our rendezvous point. As I was going to sell the watches I was being followed…I thought it was the feds and I ran, until the person tackled me to the ground…it was August Booth."

"August? You mean Pinocchio?" David asked stunned.

"Yea, he told me that he was Emma's 'guardian'," Neal scoffed, "He knew who I really was and told me everything about the curse…he told me to leave Emma otherwise she would not follow her destiny to break the curse…" Neal sighed again, "Long story short I followed his advice, called the cops with all the information, and left her serving my sentence in the Phoenix prison."

"Wait, wait, wait…" Snow stuttered as she got up from her seat and faced Neal, "You followed the advice of Pinocchio to send my _**daughter**_ to prison, who was eighteen and pregnant with your son?!"

"Ok hold the phone here," Neal said as he too stood up and faced Snow, "I did not know she was pregnant! If I have had known I would not have done that."

David pulled Snow aside and stepped closer to Neal and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, "Either way you left her! Why couldn't you have led her here yourself? Change the plans or something?! Why did you leave her alone?!"

"I was scared ok?!" Neal finally shouted, "I couldn't face my father. I ran away from all that for a reason…he was supposed to come with me." Neal managed to get out. David loosened his grip, "He and I made a deal that if I found away to relieve him of the Dark One's power he would take it. I did and he let me go through that damn portal alone."

Henry was silent and he got up from his seat, "Did you know who she was when you met?"

Neal looked down at his son and said softly, "Kid if I did then you would not be here." Henry winced and backed away from his father. Neal then knew how that came out, "Wait Henry I-"

Henry shook his head and he took off, "Henry!" the three adults called after him.

David glared at Neal and said, "You know what? I suggest you figure yourself out first and decide what you want before coming near this family…otherwise I do not care if you are the father of my grandson I will kill you…do I make myself perfectly clear?"

Neal nodded and David took off in the direction where Henry went. Snow sighed and looked at Neal as well and before she spoke he said, "If you are threatening bodily harm, safe your breath."

"No actually I was going to say that in David's case, death is too easy…however you forget one ting…you hurt Henry so I suggest you not only watch your back because of David, myself, and Emma…but you also watch your back for Regina and the others here…" She leaned in close and whispered, "Especially Regina…take it from me…"

Neal now visibly gulped as Snow took off in the direction of her husband and grandson, leaving Neal to sit on the bench cursing his rotten night.


End file.
